What does it take to bounce back from one of the worst public relations disasters in foundation politics?

Crisis management experts say Susan G. Komen for the Cure has already taken the right first step to move on from the P.R. disaster that resulted from its decision to cut off grant funding to Planned Parenthood. It reversed its decision — and quickly, before the damage got even worse.

But it’s going to take a lot more, they say, to win back the almost universal goodwill the organization had before it became embroiled in abortion politics. For a large portion of the group’s strongest supporters — women who support abortion rights — this was a fundamental betrayal.

“This is like catching your husband or fiancé in bed with the wrong woman,” said D.C.-based communications consultant Marina Ein.

Cleveland-based crisis communication consultant Bruce Hennes agreed with the analogy, and said that like any cheating spouse, Komen will need to go even further to demonstrate its fidelity to its supporters on the left after this lapse.

“Now that Komen reversed itself and begged forgiveness, I believe their base will surround them with love and dollars, but they won’t forget ... their spouse will be watched,” he said.

Komen’s allies aren’t limited to those who support abortion rights — it has also had strong appeal with anti-abortion women. But not many people knew that it funded Planned Parenthood until it decided to stop.

And once it did, it may have lost its ability to appeal to both sides. That may be the long-term price it will pay for stepping so publicly into the abortion fight when it didn’t have to get involved at all.

In fact, by seeming to take sides — even though it insisted its grant policy changes weren’t aimed at Planned Parenthood — its reversal may be setting off another backlash with the right.

Within hours of Komen’s announcement, anti-abortion groups lashed out at the reversal. “It would be heartbreaking for women who suffer from breast cancer if Planned Parenthood has bullied Komen into loosening their higher standards,” Jeanne Monahan of the Family Research Council said in a statement. “Komen should stay focused on saving lives, not supporting the nation’s largest abortion provider.”

But it was the firestorm of criticism from the left that touched off the disaster in the first place — and signaled that Komen may have lost its reputation as a safe, non-political charity with broad appeal to everyone.

Komen’s founder and CEO, Nancy Brinker, has a lot of goodwill to draw on both with affiliates and the organization’s corporate partners, according to people who know the organization well. She needs to use it aggressively, they say, working the phones and doing media appearances to clarify where the group now stands.

But one source close to the organization’s leadership says a shake-up may be inevitable now that the organization has changed direction.

“Somebody besides Nancy Brinker is going to pay for it,” the source said.

The likely target is Vice President Karen Handel, who called for defunding Planned Parenthood during an unsuccessful run for governor of Georgia.

Demands for her ouster appeared on the group’s Facebook page.

“I think the only way for Komen to recover from this is to fire Ms. Handel,” wrote Dan Kegel. “If we take Brinker’s word that she didn’t realize this was a partisan move, and we trust the accounts that say this was Handel’s idea, Handel has to go for Brinker to remain credible.”

Even if Handel isn’t forced out, it seems likely that the reversal could lead her to resign, just as it might drive away many abortion opponents who may see Komen as more closely identified with abortion rights than it did before it attempted to sever ties with Planned Parenthood.

But the only thing Komen can do now is accept this and double down on its final decision, crisis communication experts say. It can’t reassure Planned Parenthood supporters without alienating those who don’t approve of the organization.

“Now that they went and did what they did and reversed themselves, there’s no going back,” Hennes said.

Comments on Komen’s Facebook page suggest how much work it will need to do to heal the wounds this week left among supporters.

“I, my family, and extended family will continue our boycott of SGK. Even though breast cancer has touched our family. SHAME ON YOU SGK,” wrote Judy Summerville.

And on the other side of the abortion divide, Ruth Saldana Rohr urged people to demand that Komen return their donations and redirect them to “a cancer research foundation that doesn’t contribute to abortionaries.”

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 6:55 p.m. on February 3, 2012.